The Matrix Reset
by Lorien M Earth
Summary: Okay ActionHumorRomance, a different journey of 'the One'...um...JUST READ IT! lol, and no NOT a parody (though the title implies that)
1. ERROR

Rated: PG-13 for Language, Violence and Sexuality (but not yet lol…)

Well, I finally got to rewriting this story (if you want the original email me and I'll send it to you), after seeing Reloaded, I noticed well hell, the plot characters are WAY to much like mine, and if fact what LITTLE plot there is, is in my story to, and it just TORE THIS STORY TO BITS, all my creativity WHOOOSH, so I changed it, this is 'the One' BEFORE Neo, but I'm thinking that Neo isn't needed, whether this 'One' fails or not I haven't decided.  So new names for everyone see if you can guess who is who, but the have barely been mentioned.

Oh, I didn't have the heart to change Mouse's name *sigh* sorry guys, the beginning is VERY different, my whole escape needed something exciting, lol, oh and yes, these people are people I go to school with EVERYDAY.

Don't you think it's freaky when you write the same lines that are in a movie you haven't even seen yet?  That's what happened with Reloaded *growl*

Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix (but I do own Enter the Matrix! And the soundtracks! *grin*), other then that idea this is mine. DON'T SUE ME! *lol*

p.s. the year is like 1989, yeah I know but it's set in where and when I am now just DEAL lol

Zion has been destroyed

Rebooting 0846-59-281224-00237

Setting rebirth in one hundred years

Calculating…

Set for…

Warning

**ERROR**

System Reset

Rebirth

Warning

**ERROR**

The Matrix has been reset

Rebirth

**ERROR**

SYSTEM FAILURE

**C; \EXIT MAINFRAME OF THE MATRIX**

90 years, 167 days, 17 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds later…

      "Damn alarm clock," I said as it blared on and on.  I was forgetting my dream, "no don't forget, please don't let me forget…"

      It was too late, it was gone, but it seemed so real, to real.  I walked over and stopped the alarm.  It was Monday, only Monday?  The weekend had been normal, highlight being what it had always been, sleeping in, and remembering those dreams.  The dreams might as well be reality.

      High school sucks, I don't care if everyone says it's the greatest time of your life.  It just sucks, at least when a freshman it sucks.  The hallways are just a blur and all you wish is that you don't die of boredom during Spanish class.  Every day is the same, every week the same, the utter pointlessness of life settles in. You are born you wish you went to school, you go to school you wish you worked, you work and you wish you could retire, you retire and you wait to die.  Isn't this a great life?

      There has to be something worth living for in this desolate world, there must be more.  The only little glimmer of hope in this crazy world called high school was theater class.  This is the class where Mr. Shailer brings us into his world, his crazy ideas about reality.  Virtual and physical reality, what this means to the actor and what is real?  Every day we leave that class, that world, and walk down the halls or reality.

      _What is reality?_

      The bell rang during History, school was out.  I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulders.

      "I'll call you about that English project when I get home," said Julie as we spilt in the hallways, I waved to say I heard as I walked to my locker.

      "Hey hey…where you going?" said a voice behind me as the hallways cleared out some.

      "None or your business Andrew," I said turning on him.

      "Oh really?" he said leaning against a locker.

      "Ya really, now shut up before I make you."

      "Ooooo I'm scared of a girl, save me," he laughed mockingly.  I dropped my binder and punched him in the jaw.  I don't do this often; I try to remain the sweet girl who no one likes.

      "When will guys learn?" I said as I picked up my binder, he stood there shocked rubbing his jaw.  "Have a nice day Andrew," I said with a smile as I turned and went around the corner.

      Andrew didn't know any better, I was the new girl and no one knew what to expect.  It had only been a couple months and I still acted like the sweet reject.  Well all that would change, I thought, everyone will know I punched Andrew by tomorrow.  Though I was sure he wouldn't tell anyone about how he was punched by a GIRL, it would leak out.  Like everything else did.

      So what I didn't care, I liked it when people avoided me.

      Fresh air, it felt good as it whipped across my face.  Typical New England weather, this morning it was pouring but now there wasn't a cloud in the sky and no on would have guessed it was almost a waterfall this morning.

      I sat in the front of the bus, like I always do.  Our bus driver is half mad and it turns out to be more like a rollercoaster then anything else.  I look out the window as I put my headphones on squinting in the bright light, the middle school has just let out.  The seats fill up quickly and the seat next to me is the last to be taken, typical.

      I don't care I just blast 3rd strike as the driver pulls slowly away from the middle school.

      I burst through the door of my house as I slip off my tennis shoes.

      "How was school?" asks my mom from the kitchen.  She asks this EVERY day, it seems not everyday is uniform enough; she has to act the same every day.

      "Fine," I say as I leave the kitchen only sparing her a glance.  Every day is the same; only thing we can hope for is change.

      My laptop was sitting on my desk humming away.  There is more in that laptop that tells of who I am then anything else in the world.  All my music is stored on that thing, all my stories, journals, drawings, everything.

      Prime Audio Soup was playing, good sound.  I turned up the volume as my headphones blared and I flipped through my planner.  _Set me free…free_, my songs capture how I feel so well.

      "CATHERINE!" yelled my mom from the stairs.

      "WHAT!?!" I yelled back throwing my headphones off my head.

      "Telephone!" I sighed, must be Julie.  I went downstairs and took the phone from my mom.

      "Hello?"

      "Hey it's Julie," said the voice on the other line

      "Oh hey, so that English project…"

      "Ya, do you know what to do?"

      "No idea," I laughed.

      "That makes to lets work on it tomorrow okay?"

      "Sure," I said.

      "Okay well my mom wants the phone, ill se ya tomorrow."

      "Ya tomorrow…" I said softly as she hung up.  I hung up and placed it back on its stand.

      I went back upstairs; my computer was humming like crazy.  No sound was coming from the headphones and the screen was going crazy.  It went black and green flashed on the screen.

**ERROR**

Warning

Reboot

The Matrix has been reset

Rebirth

**ERROR**

      "What the hell?" I whispered.  It flashed green as it went black again.

**C:\ The Matrix is real**

I ran to my computer and started to type

**C:\ What the hell are you talking about? Get off my computer**

**C:\ I am Flame and no I will not get off**

**C:\ I don't care who you are, are you one of my brother's friends? I know he's a hacker I bet he knows you**

**C:\ No your brother does not know me but I know him**

**C:\ How did you hack my computer?**

**C:\ Normal rules do not apply here, it was pretty easy**

**C:\ I'm disconnecting**

**C:\ It'll make no difference**

**C:\ EXIT**

Didn't work screen was still black and green

**C:\ I told you**

Esc, didn't work either

**C:\ Look I can see what you are doing nothing is going to work**

**C:\ How can you see me?**

**C:\ I've been watching you, your computer I like your story by the way, the one with the girl named Araval**

**C:\ Look creep you get off my computer or…**

**C:\ Or what? You won't report me, there's a question, a question that drives us all…**

**C:\ What is the Matrix?**

They didn't respond

**C:\ Did you see what happened to my computer just a minute ago?  It said the Matrix was being reset…**

**C:\ No I didn't, my computer froze up… I don't know what happened**

**C:\ Now why are you here?**

**C:\ Against my better judgment, I'm sending Mouse, there is a dance on Friday, and he'll be there**

**C:\ Who's Mouse?**

**C:\ He's part of my crew; it'll all make sense later**

**C:\ It better**

**C:\ Look I really got to run…agents…**

**C:\ WAIT!**

**C:\ EXIT**

They had left

**C:\ EXIT**

The screen went back to normal as the music started up again, Mindfields by The Prodigy.  _This is dangerous open up your head…_


	2. Mouse

      The week was the normal week after that.  So some creep was sending some guy to the dance…so?  Okay so I was a bit excited about Friday, the dances were stupid I only went to laugh at the idiots.  I had to sign up any guests I was going to have, who was he going to be? Mouse from who knows what school? And how OLD is this guy?  So I paused a second in the office thinking of who I could put…

      Dan Sutherland, GHS

      Perfect, no one knows who he is here, well not this one anyways.

      "So," said Julie, breaking my train of thought during lunch on Thursday, "are you coming to the dance tomorrow?"

      "Yeah, I'm bringing a friend," I said softly.

      "Oh! Who?"

      "Dan, Dan Sutherland," I said bracing myself.

      "A guy?!? YOU'RE BRINGING A GUY?"

      "He's just a friend," I said looking at her as a smile crossed her face.

      "O lala…" she said, "well I'll see when he comes."

      "Yeah we'll see…"

      Friday night, so my dad drives me to my high school.  Its 8:30, he should be here any minute.  I wave a goodbye as my dad drives off, then I see a black Mercedes drive into the parking lot.  Well he likes arriving in style, everyone outside is laughing not paying any attention as he steps out.

      Then one of the girls just stares.  I swear the stupid girls at my school are so deprived, they've never seen a hot guy in there LIFE.  He wasn't even that hot, sheesh.  He knows it's me and I know it's him, immediately.  The car drives off before I can see the driver as he walks towards me, I smiled.

      "Hey," I said casually as he greeted me like an old friend.  He kissed me on the cheek, several girls glared at me.

      "Hey, so who am I?" he whispered into my ear.

      "You're Dan Sutherland you go to Glouster High; you've known me for a year."  He smiled as he took a step back

      "Not bad, you're pretty smart," I watched as he looked around eyeing the girls staring.

      "Look this is MY world ok? I make the rules, and no those girls are annoying preps we don't like them."

      "No we don't, they're looking at me funny," he wrinkled his nose.

"They always do they think it's seducing," I grinned, he laughed.

"Well okay…here lets get this over with where can we talk, alone?"

"Follow me," I said as I walked into the building, we walked right past the actual dance and went outside, into the courtyard.

"Sorry this is the best I can do," I said softly.  "Oh, shit," I said as I saw Andrew see me from across the courtyard.  I did the only thing that might get him off my back I grabbed Mouse and kissed him.  Once he got over the shock he didn't seem to mind.  I looked through my eyelashes to see Andrew make a face and turn around.  I let go slowly, somewhat reluctantly.

"That should keep him our backs," I whispered.

"Who?" he asked, catching his breath, still utterly surprised.

"Andrew, God he's so annoying," I looked over Mouse's shoulder as John, Andrew's friend, staring in awe, but it was Sam's face that made going to this school worth it.

Sam Curr was staring mouth open in disbelief; oh she was so jealous it was so perfect.

"So," I said sitting on a bench and he followed suite, "you are here why?"

"I can free you."  He said simply.

"Um, okay I didn't know I needed to be freed but that's okay," I said with a mocking smile, "anything else."

"No, you can't see your prison."

"Well if it's high school you're looking at it."

"No it's everything," he sighed, "look I can't tell you more…"

"Why not?"

"It's impossible you have to see it yourself."

"Okay show me then, show me this prison."

"Ask me what you have wanted to ask this whole time…"

"_What is the Matrix?_" I whispered.  He nodded silently, _what is the Matrix? What is real?_  He knew the answers, he knew everything.  The spell hardly lasted a minute before it broke; somehow, my train of thought broke.

"How old are you?" I said, "just wondering."

"Fifteen," he said.

"Good, your as old as Dan, lets just hope Elliot isn't here, he knows Dan."

"Ah hah," I looked to the door as Sam left, then I saw Julie, she came out the door, saw me and walked straight towards me.

"Remember we are just friends ok?"  Julie was now in earshot.

"Hey Julie this is Dan," Julie looked at him with mild surprise as she nodded to him.

"I wish we could go to a REAL club with REAL music…" I said as I leaned against the wall staring at the lights listening to the pointless noise of pop.

"If only you knew…" whispered Mouse.

"Hey," said Julie walking back from the drinks, "I'm going to go find Ashley, okay?"

"Okay," I said as Mouse stood back from the wall.

"Good," he said when Julie was out of earshot, "now look I can't stay alright?"

"Alright," I said.

"But I need to give you some stuff," he said as he got closer.

"Um…okay," I said as he put his hand in is pocket.

"Here," he said as he slipped me a cell phone, "never go anywhere without it."  I was glad I wore baggy pants as I slipped it into my pocket.  "And here, please take it and don't go anywhere without it…" he pressed closely as he slipped something from his pocket to mine.

It was a gun.  This guy was like Dan in a million ways.  I looked into those blue eyes as the lights reflected in them, green, red, blue and everything in between.

"Alright," I said softly.  Then I wondered if he danced like Dan, and lucky me, the song changed into something half decent.  Actually way more then half decent, Dragula Remix by none other then Rob Zombie.  I gave him a devilish smile as I walked past him took his hand and led him to the writhing mass of people.

"You act like Dan but can you dance like him?"

_Dead I am, the one exterminating son, slipping through the trees, straggling the breeze._

"Hell I can try," he said as he smiled back and after that I was lost in his touch.  Hell, he could dance like Dan, better.

He also had another gun in his pocket.

It was over to quick of course, "I got to leave now," he whispered into me ear as he led me away.  "But listen, train station Monday and 4:30, take it to Boston then take the green line to Quincy Market, we'll meet you there."

"Wait," I said as he began to leave, "what is your REAL name?"

"It's Mouse," he said turning back to me.

"No REAL," I said again.

"What is real?  If you define real as what you are feeling, hearing, seeing and smelling now then I HAVE no REAL name."  He left me looking utterly confused.  "It'll all be explained soon I swear," he gave one last kiss on my cheek before turning away.

"Goodbye," I said after him.

"Just friends uh huh," said Julie behind me.

"Yeah just friends…" I said as I faced her, "we are complicated you see…"  Julie laughed,

"Yeah well got to admit he's pretty cute," he said with a grin.

"More like hot Julie," said Ashley from behind

"He's not HOT or CUTE, OKAY?" I said laughing.

"Whatever, what time is it?" asked Julie.

"It's, 10:00," said Ashley checking her watch.

"I got to go then," I said quickly, "bye guys I'll see you Monday if not earlier."

"Send my regards to your boyfriend!" called Ashley after me.

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" I yelled over the music as I walked backwards out the door into the hall.  I turned back around giving the prep behind me a smile.  They gave me a frightened smile before walking into the Caf.

I grabbed my coat and walked outside, it was nice and cool compared to the heat inside.  It was a clear night and a full moon; it would have been beautiful, if the school lights weren't so bright.

"Hey," said Rachel as she got off the bench, "how are you?"  The sophomore was wearing black jeans with a clean plain white shirt with black trim.  I just love her clothes.

"I'm alright just tired," I said as I stifled a yawn.

"Me to, my parents are late."  Her breath turned into mist as I rose to the heavens.

"Pretty night, cold though," I commented looking at the stars.

"Yeah, oh," she said as a car came into the parking lot.  "That's my dad; well I'll see you in theater."


	3. Rachel

"Yeah," I said softly as she walked to the car and opened the door.

_What is real? What is the Matrix?_

"What defines reality?  This is a question that many actors must face…" Mr. Shailer was frustrated with our concentration again; this means a speech NONE of us understand, just to get us to see that theatre is serious.

Theatre seems utterly unimportant, today at least.  Last block, all I could live for was 4:30, 4:30 I understand.  _What is the Matrix?_ I had written it in my notebook, only Julie saw it she gave me an odd glance.

"It's a story I'm writing," I said explaining my odd behavior.

"Oh, well explain it sometime…" I gave a weak grin, I had a funny feeling there wouldn't BE a 'sometime'.

The theatre door opened, Mr. Shailer looked up in surprise.  Ms. Collins, don't cross her path, one bitchy vice president.  She's probably just here to talk to Ian or something; I thought as I re adjusted my legs.  The cell phone antenna wasn't very comfortable stabbing into my thigh, neither was the gun.

I had been paranoid someone was going to bump it, or someone would notice the weird bump sticking out of my pants.  They were baggy, but I still didn't feel they were baggy enough.  Some quick thinking Friday night, I cut the bottom of the pocket and strapped the gun to my leg.  Easy, discriminate, and quick to get too, not that I even knew WHO I was going to shoot at.

"Can I borrow Ms. Robinson for a second?" said Ms. Collins in that so deceptively sweet voice.

"M-me?" I said quietly, "what does she want with ME?"

"Sure," she Mr. Shailer looking awfully worried, "go ahead."  I got up slowly, waved to Julie and walked out with Ms. Collins who gave me a smile.

The auditorium isn't very far from the office, just across the hall, Ms. Collins opened the door for me.  It leads into the front office, there was the freaky short secretary and though she is shorter then me she is extremely overpowering.  At the other desk was the other secretary who looked more like a fish then anything else, don't ask me how people look like fish but she does.

Ms. Collins desk was the second office; Mr. Rice was in his desk looking through papers.  Mr. Rice is the principal; I'm not sure what he's like I've never talked to him.  Farther down are the guidance councilors, I would much rather be there talking to Mr. Kirkland about stuff then seeing the terrorizing Vice Principal.

She closed her office door.  Her office is small and bright, unlike her personality.  The whole back wall is windows and a desk faces the door, back to the windows.

"Please sit," she said still with that fake sweet voice, and plastic smile.  She walked to her desk and stood hands on the desk.  I didn't sit; she motioned to the chair in front of the desk.

"I'd rather stand," I said coolly.

"I'd rather you sit," she said sitting in her rolly chair.

"Please get to your point I'm missing my favorite class," I said, still refusing to sit.

"Well," she said losing some of her charm, "how's school?"

"You brought me hear to ask me how's school?" I said.

"Anything you want to tell me?" she said ignoring me.  Oh, like how SOMEONE is out to kill me and I have to run away later today, yeah right, like I'm going to tell her that.

"No, can I go?" I said impatiently.

"No, can you sit please?" I sat, barely just sitting on the edge.  "Thank you, know, I heard you punched Andrew Friday."

"So?"

"I can't have that in my school."

"Well he was being a jerk like he always is, maybe he learned his lesson."  She sighed.

"I'm not tolerant of any of the behavior I have seen from you the whole time you were here," she folded her hands on the desk.  "That's a week of detention; would you like to start today?"

"I can't start today."

"Well I'm sorry but you have to," she said looking at her schedule.

"Then why did you ask?" she gave me another fake smile.  "I'll take a year's detentions but I can't have one today."  I'll be out of here by then, I thought.

Then the phone rang.

"Cell phones aren't allowed in school," said Ms. Collins with a now real smile, "that'll be another week of detentions."

"I swear I turned it off Ms. Collins, here ill turn it off, and it's just for after school."  I took it out of my pocket.

"Let me have that, ill keep it until your TWO weeks of detention are filled."  She held out her hand.

"No," I said turning it off, "see it's off."

It rang again.

"What the…?"

"Give me the phone!"  I answered it.

"Hello…?" I said softly, Ms. Collins rolled her eyes.

"It's Apollos, they found you get out of there, train station there's a train in 15 minutes you better hurry."

"I'll try."

"Don't be in a room alone with ANYONE either…"

"Shit, you're too late."

"Hang up and give that phone to me," said Ms. Collins strongly.

"I can't do that…" I told her still trying to hear Apollos.

"AGENTS!" he yelled and the phone went dead.

Ms. Collins then leapt over the desk.  That was it; she was defiantly threatening me there.  My hand dove in my pocket and I dropped the phone in the other.  Out came the gun, loaded and ready to shot.  I pointed it at her with both hands, she stopped dead.

"Don't make me do this Ms. Collins, you understand this less then me even."  She stammered, "please, Ms. Collins this is for both of our safety, now don't move, don't get near me."

Then she started the shake, "Ms. Collins?" something was wrong with her, I backed away gun still at her.  I hit the door, "Ms. Collins!?! What's wrong, don't get near me."  The door opened, I let out a yelp and turned the gun.

It was Rachel; she had a gun pointed straight at Ms. Collins.  Then Ms. Collins was no longer Ms. Collins, she turned into a man, wearing a suit and sunglasses.  He took out a gun, Rachel shot him.  He fell to the floor, and then morphed into Ms. Collins again.

"That's the only time they are vulnerable, common," she said grabbing my arm as I stood horrified.  We were running to the front office when Rachel looked back.  She pinned me to the ground, a bullet when right over the head and went through the window at the front desk.  Rachel rammed into Mr. Rice's office dragging me with her.  I caught a glance back, it was the same man who had been Mr. Collins coming down the hall.

Rachel shot out the window wall and shoved me through; the man was now at the door.  Then Rachel did something I never though anyone could do, walk on the ceiling.  She did it with such ease, just jumped onto the ceiling and shot at the man.  He did something I thought no one could do, dodged bullets, it was so fast he seemed a blur, but then one hit its mark.  A dead Mr. Kirkland hit the floor.  I gasped; probably one of the nicest staff in the school had been shot.

Rachel jumped out after me.

"Hurry more Agents will be coming!" she said running across the short lawn to the parking lot.

"How did you do that?" I said trying to keep up.

"It's easy, for my kind anyways."

"YOUR KIND?!?" I yelled.

"Yes, now quiet we have to hurry."  She was now at a beat-up white Honda, "hop in."  She said as the door opened, I was so sure it had been locked.  Then she started it without keys.  She took out a cell phone like mine as she backed out of the parking space.

Wait, Rachel is a sophomore, how come she can drive? I thought.

"Jade?" she said, "yeah, Agents, how's Apollos? SHIT, well, we are getting there right now.  Uh-huh I know, I killed him twice Jade I know what I'm doing."  She hung up as she turned left out of the school.

"Got to drive normally so they don't know where we are," she said changing the gears.

"Thanks, back there and all," I said still stunned.

"Oh, that's my job, no questions please you'll know everything in due time."  _What is the Matrix?_

I couldn't help myself, "do you know what the Matrix is?"  Rachel laughed as we passed the old church.

"Of course, I'm part of it, even more then you are."  What a helpful answer, I told myself.  It was one fifty eight; train would be there in seven minutes.

"I can't go on the train with you; I got to check to see if your house is safe.  The train shouldn't be a problem, so many people they won't dare change."  I didn't even try to figure this out anymore.  We were at the train station, Rachel stopped the car and we both got out.  The police sirens went off.

"Well, at least they aren't coming here," said Rachel softly.  The train bell went off, "here," said Rachel pulling out a ten dollar bill, "since you left everything at school, for the train."

I smiled, "thanks."

"Good luck!" she called running towards my house, who knows what was happening there.


	4. Boston

Yippee…I wrote another chappy FUN FUN, and I don't notice (in the story), but the weird hotel thing I end up was actually a back door.  It was one of Jalax's little fun places, but he gave it to us along with the key, so anyways it's the Boston headquarters. (p.s. sorry if the subway info is wrong I haven't gone to Quincy Market in a while and I'm not sure which line from the green you use (if any) not that it matters lol)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The train slowly stopped as I gave one last glance to Rachel running across the parking lot, I looked at my house one last time heaved a sigh and turned.  The train doors opened and I dragged myself up the stairs, I had no idea what I was doing, where I was going or who I was going to meet.  That is if I wasn't killed before I got there.

"Where are you going?" asked the conductor taking out a pink ticket.

"Boston, one way," I replied.  He quickly punched out to holes, the date, place and amount of money.

"Seven dollars please," I gave him the ten; he whipped out the wad of cash and took out three ones.  "Thank you," he said handing them to me.  I nodded as he placed the slip of paper on the handle in the seat in front of me and moved on to the next passenger.

By now we were going full speed, the trees rushing by as a blur.  The horse farm was almost gone, the trees whizzed by, North Beverly, Beverly, Salem, each rushing by, slowly getting more suburban.  Not it wasn't trees whizzing by now but brick buildings, the platforms now squished between buildings, Chelsea, and then North Station.

This is the last stop, all trains from the north lines stop here.  The train stopped, I got up, got out and was on a platform with dozens of people going on and off.  Finally I get through the glass doors into the lobby.  It's a long hallway basically, white tiles and signs above your head with things like, 'track 5, on time' and 'track 2, late'.  You take a right to end up at the fleet center.  From there you cross the street.  I walked as fast I could away from the train station.  Past my dad bike he uses for work, trying to forget.

The green line was just across the street.  The stairs going up, the crossing the street through a plexy glass tube; from there you go down the concrete stairs.  I paid for my token and passed through the metal bar.

'Never take the orange line,' my dad had told me, 'people get shot there all the time, avoid it no matter what.'  'Okay,' I had said back, the orange line went through the ghetto, but I was taking the green.

The tunnel down was a mosaic or green tiles, like it wasn't obvious enough that you were on THE GREEN LINE.  The subway train came within five minutes.  I took it five stops, and then took the long tunnel back to the ground above.  The walk was a little far to get to Quincy market, the breeze was a bit cold and I shrugged off the cold as I ran across the street.

Never expect ANYONE to stop for you in Boston, there's a joke around here, 'in Boston green means go, red means stop and yellow means go faster.'  It was too true; people around here are almost as crazy as the weather.  The sidewalk was wide, and the shops florescent lights glared.

Then I realized, where in Quincy market?  That was quite a big place to meet someone.  I remember going there when I was little, we didn't shop but we went into the market.  The market is almost a huge stone hall.  It's one HUGE buffet line, anything you could pretty much want.  Stores were all around it, restaurants built off of it.

Then, almost like in answer of my call, the phone rang.

"Hello?" I said as I came to another street, and ran across it like a chicken with its head cut off.

"You almost there?" said a voice I hadn't heard before.

"Yeah, one more block."

"Okay once you get there take a left at the market.  It's the black Mercedes."  I looked ahead, there was the huge granite market, "Quincy Market" it said in huge curvy letters.

"Got it," I said and they hung up.  They don't seem to like saying 'bye', I thought.  I took the left, watching the hundred of people milling around the front of the market and the streets on either side.  A group of people were collecting money for AIDS, I shrugged took out my last two bucks and tossed it into the can.

The uneven cobblestone was a nice break from the concrete, and there was the street, and there was the car.  I walked to it, the door opened and I slipped in.

I was greeted with a gun between the eyes.

"Is this how you treat people when you first meet them?" I said sarcastically as I shut the door.  The woman who had the gun to my head was in the front seat.  Her hair was bleach blonde and short; it was pulled back in little spikes.  Her crystal blue eyes were harsh, and her white coat had a silver sheen to it.

"It's just for our protection, keep your eyes open, Flame check em," she said looking to the seat beside me.  I looked to my left.  So, this was Flame.  She had black hair, and dark eyes.  She one the other hand, was wearing black, shiny vinyl.  She looked closely at my eyes as I tried not to blink.

"No Jade, she's fine, they did a good job of keeping her out of harms way."  She said glancing back at the girl in white, Jade, who lowered the gun.

"Hit it Edrahil," she said turning back forwards.  Edrahil was the driver, and I assume the one who talked to me on the phone.  He had long brown hair, it was pulled back.  His eye were hidden by sunglasses but he looked as tough as steel.

"Who's they?" I asked quietly as Edrahil seemed to be impossibly smooth with the car.  How he can keep his head with Bostonian drivers I don't know.

"Well you would know them as Mr. Shailer and Rachel," said Flame.

"Mr. Shailer?" I said in surprise.

"Yeah, great guy…" said Flame staring out the window.

"Can you guys um…explain anything to me?" I said hoping for a simple answer for once.

"All your questions will be answered in due time," said Jade.  I felt it WAS due time, but also she had a gun and felt she knew how to use it.  I got the feeling Edrahil didn't talk much, he just kept his eyes on the road, doing impossible feats with the car.

We ended up on Lansdowne Street, Fenway on one side, clubs and bars on the other.  Edrahil took a right on a side alley.  He stopped the car, Jade got out first.  She looked around, "clear," she said.  Edrahil got out, Flame opened the door and I followed suite.  They lead me to a side door to an abandoned building.

The door opened and I walked in first.  The first thing I saw was a very majestic gothic staircase.  On either side were huge statues of gargoyles.  Flame followed after me, Jade after her.

"Edrahil has gone to hide the car," said Jade softly.  Flame nodded and began to climb the stairs.  I followed, it led to a balcony, and huge mahogany doors were on either side.  More gargoyle statues were up here.  I looked in wonder, Flame took a left.  Jade stayed at the staircase.

I followed Flame, she flew open the doors with such ease, she must be immensely strong, I thought.  There was a room, sort of like a parlor.  There stood a man; he was quite tall with short black hair, and brown eyes.  He looked at Flame and smiled.  Flame turned.

"You go through that door," she said pointing to a door on the far side of the room, "he's waiting there."

"Who?" I asked.

"Apollos," said Flame quietly, "that's were your answers lay."  I took a deep breath, "I can't go with you," said Flame simply.

I walked to the door, gave one glance back to see the man go up to Flame, she nodded and I opened the door.


	5. Apollos

HEY GUYS! Sorry this took so long, I wasn't at home so I couldn't plug my computer in ANYWAYS, um well it'll come way faster now I PROMISE

CALLOUTS!

Alexandra the Half-Wolf- Hey thanks! And trust me I WILL!

Alocin- Well you see this DID have the original movie characters, of course I changed them around added stuff ect, but some I changed more then others, mostly Apollos/Morpheus and there is no Cypher, I had to change everything thanks the Reloaded (growl) but they are different trust me

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There he was, like a god, a tall Asian man with short black hair and black sunglasses.

"Please sit," he said pointing to a red leather chair.  I decided maybe this time I would sit, maybe things would turn out a little better then last time.  I bet forever I'll be known as the girl who went physco with Rachel; I wonder what everyone else will think.  I noticed on the table between the two chairs was a glass of water, a strange sort of beauty; I looked at it puzzled at how it warped my vision.  I wondered if I should speak, unlike Ms. Collins this man deserved respect.

"I believe I own you an explanation," he started.  I noticed he didn't sit instead paced around my chair.  He paused behind my chair, "unfortunately that is up to you, the choice."

"What choice?" I said as he began to walk back around.

"Truth or ignorant bliss," he said looking at me in the eye, or at least I though he was.  _What is the Matrix?_

"What is the Matrix?" I said in a demanding tone.

"It is the truth, or rather the untruth."

"No," I almost snapped, "what is it?"

"The Matrix is everything, and yet nothing, the Matrix is a lie."  He sat back down in the chair across from mine.  "I'm sorry that I can't tell you more, it dangerous to you and all you know."  He put his hand in his pocket, "the choice is now yours."  He opened the palm of his hand; in it were a blue pill and a red.  "Take the blue, you forget everything, this, us, you'll wake up in your bed and go back to school.  Take the red and you learn the truth, there is no way back.  Choose wisely."

The hell with the blue, my quest is only for the truth.  "Red."  I said and there sealed my fate for the rest of my life.  He let a small smile cross his face before holding out the red pill.

So that's what the glass of water was for, I took the pill.  The door opened in walked Flame, Edrahil, Jade and the man who I found out later was Nephilim.

"She's taken the red, Edrahil locate her, Nephilim would you like to do the honors?"  He smiled, and I wondered what 'the honors' was.  Jade led me out of the room with the others.

"What are you doing?" I whispered to her.

"Freeing you, you'll see."  She acted utterly grim and for some reason I wished I hadn't asked.  They opened the door across the stair case.  And there was the weirdest thing I had ever seen, like it came from some sci-fi movie or something.  A chair, but to it was connected hundreds of wires, and there was a phone hooked up to it, but that was all that was recognizable.  There was computers and keyboard like things that looked like turntables.

"Did you MAKE this?" I said in surprise.

"Some of it yes," said Flame.  Jade led me to the chair.

"Whatever happens don't freak out," she said.  That was extremely comforting, I might add.  Then she put sensors all over my neck and arms.  Edrahil was typing at the computers, there leader Apollos behind him.  Flame opened a cell phone.

"Destiny, she's said yes, yeah I know.  Okay well let me out and wait for a signal."  Then she shut it and a phone on the other side of the room rang.  She walked towards it, "I'll see you in a minute."  She said before picking up the phone.

Then she disappeared into green and the phone clattered as it hit the floor.  She was gone; Nephilim just picked up the phone and placed it back on the hooks.  Then I noticed it was an old fashioned phone, with a wire. 

"Um…" I said softly.

"It'll all be explained," said Jade standing back up and plugging in some wires to the chair.

"I'm getting a faint signal…" said Edrahil softly.

"Go Nephilim," said Jade standing back and checking the wires.

With that he took a vase and threw it to the floor.  It shattered millions of pieces fling everywhere; and then it stopped.  At first I thought everything stopped, but no it was just the shards of glass, they hung in midair.  Then they seemed to melt, they came back together and reshaped.

I gasped, "It's working," whispered Flame.

"Searching, I'm getting closer," said Edrahil as the screens flashed and he typed faster.  I was not feeling good, not at all, my head was spinning and my heart seemed to skip over and over.  I tried to breathe.

"Her hearts skipping!" cried Jade looking at the screens behind me.  I gasped for breath and felt unconsciousness coming on.

"SHES DIEING!" yelled Jade.

"I got it!" yelled Edrahil.

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I couldn't breathe, something was on me, and something was keeping me from breathing.  Air, I need air!

I tried to sit up, and it felt like it was taking all my strength, it was like rubber bands were holding my down.  I reached with the last bit I had, pushed up against what was holding me down.  Then it burst through my prison, so did the other hand and I clawed my way out.  With one hand I grabbed the tubes down my throat and pulled them out.  Then I must have coughed up something, but it was gross whatever it was.  I breathed.

And then I opened my eyes.

Whether I had been grossed out before or not I was now.  I was sitting in jell-o, but it was grosser then jell-o.  It was like eggs, how they stretch and stretch and don't want to break apart, but thicker.  Nastier.  Not only that but I was completely naked and I had dozens of wires all over my body, but nothing prepared me for what I saw after looking away from myself.

I wasn't alone.

I looked outside my little pod which top had apparently came off; there were millions of little pods like mine, each with one human in them.  Huge columns reaching to the sky, and seemingly having no end or beginning, and to them attached hundreds of pods.

Like I wasn't freaked out enough something snuck up on me.  I heard it and turned, it grabbed my head.  My scream got caught in my throat, it was metal, some kind of machine.

It looked me over before moving another tentacle to my head.  I would have struggled but it was no use, but it passed my head and instead decided to grab a plug on the back of my neck and yank it out.

That felt a little weird, and then it dropped me, plugs exploded off me.  And then the bottom of my pod opened.

I was sliding, down and down, ever seem of the tube ripping into the holes I already had.  Finally it ended, and I landed in water.  On a belly flop scale I would rate it a 9.5, it knocked the air out of me, not only that but it was freezing.  My lungs were constricting and I was trying to swim, but the feeling of having weighs tying me down hadn't gone away.  Then a bright spotlight came on me and then I began to lose consciousness again, something grabbed me and was pulling me out of the water.

Then everything went black.


	6. Flame

YO PEOPLE!

One review? That's sorta sad, and I mean Rach Molly and all my friends REVIEW DARNIT don't you want a callout *sobs* FINE!

CALLOUT! Haha (no not plural *sadness*)

Kal Torak – that's funny cause the main character in a way IS me so yeah, and I really WOULD like to punch Andrew that would be nice, and yeah everyone in my highschool that's mentioned does go there…

And just to explain a bit, in my old version I don't do acupuncture until later but after seeing the movie a lot I decided, yeah that was important enough to have as soon as I 'wake up' so the scene with Mouse watching me while I sleep was threated to be cut, but I couldn't do that so it's not really explained WHY I have no clothes but DEAL OKAY

And ive been in a sarcastic mood so Ara and Flame are pretty sarcastic lol…

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Slowly I woke up, and slowly I opened my eyes.  The light seemed to be blaring, impossible to look at.  Then I saw the needles.

"Jesus Christ!" I said giving a slight jerk, "get those out!"  Acupuncture always made me queasy, but on me, ew.

"Shh, don't move, and I can't take them out," said a voice, Flames voice.

"The light, it hurts…" I said shutting my eyes and wishing I could raise my arm to shield my eyes.

"We have to strengthen them, as are the needles meant to strengthen your muscles."  My muscles are fine, what do they need strengthening for, and where the hell was I?

"What?  Where…" but Flame cut me off.

"Shh, sleep it'll all be explained I swear."

I small groan of discomfort escaped my lips as I began to wake up.  My head hurt, I was sore all over, cold, and whatever I was sleeping on wasn't to comfy either.

"About time you woke up," said a voice behind me.  Ears, eyes, and all other senses were all now very awake.  It wasn't a dream, this was reality.

I rolled over, and noticed I didn't have clothes on, oh crap.  There was Mouse; I let a small squeal/scream come from my mouth as I pulled up the covers higher.

"MOUSE GET OUT!" I yelled, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?"

"Waiting for you to get up," he said very amused.

"I'M NOT WEARING ANYTHING, JESUS!" he laughed to himself, I seethed.

"Flame said it would be best if you put them on.  She didn't let me anywhere NEAR you until you were securely under the blankets, I didn't see-much."  I growled, "but what I did was lovely," he ended brightly.  _Perv__, I thought to myself, _there is perv in my room and I am stuck without clothes in a bed…how do I make the best of this situation?_  I swallowed my anger, for the time being._

"Come here Mouse," I said quietly, trying sound deceptively sweet.  Mouse gave me a grin; I tried to give the same.  _Stupid bloke, I thought.  He got off the floor and kneeled by my bed, he leaned his head over mine._

"Yeah…?" he said softly.  A sickening SMACK shattered the silence.  The look of utter shock on Mouse's face made it all worth it.

"Oww…" he said touching his cheek gingerly.

"Remember that next time you sit next to a sleeping girl, especially if they aren't wearing anything.  Now go get Flame, tell her I'm up."  He grumbled to himself about how he wasn't a slave, or at least not that kind and no he wasn't going to try anything, well maybe not as he left.

I let out a chuckle as he shut the door.  Whoa, was all I could think, first thing that entered my mind, where am I? Shortly followed by, what time is it? And third, when are we eating?  I quickly got my clothes on and wondered if that was Flame's idea of a joke, she's got a strange sense of humor might I add.

Then I put my hand on my head, WHOA!  Not hair? Ahh! Where's all that long brown hair!?!  No eyebrows? Ek, sorry if I sounded preppy but my beautiful hair! I loved my hair, and right there I swore that I would grow out my hair as long as I could.  I did too.  I wondered if that was some strange idea of a joke, shaving all my hair off, but that's just cruel.

Everywhere I had plugs, metal plugs; I assume they were to cover the holes I had had on my body.  The back of my head, where that machine thing ripped out that plug, ripped out the cord.  It was by far the biggest of them all, weird.

Weird clothes too, much like what I assumed was my room.  Everything was metal, the walls were huge metal sheets, the beams were metal and outside the sheets, I assume keeping the ceiling up.  My bed was in the corner and a built in dresser type thing in the other, a net bag looking thing was hanging above my bed.  There were extra clothes in there.

I guessed if I knew where I was I would better understand ripped sweaters, black faded pants and buckle boots.  Weren't they all just wearing clothes that would have cost a fortune?

Flame opened the door.  Yeah, she was wearing a grimy sweater, far cry from shiny vinyl.

"Was that some kind of joke?" I said as she gave me a strange look.  "Having Mouse staring at me?"  Flame laughed, I crossed my arms.

"Course not; he was all we could spare; besides he wouldn't try anything I swear."  I decided to let it slip, because I wanted to know where I was.

"Fine, where am I?  What time is it?" and I decided to not ask the third question, had a funny feeling it didn't fit very well with the rest.  I also wanted to ask where all my hair went, but I decided that really didn't fit either.

"Ask what year it is and maybe you'll start getting to the point of things."  She said obviously not at all threatened by a fifteen-year-old who was very angry about not having her hair.

"Fine what year is it?"  I said sitting back down on the bed, standing to long made m dizzy.

"Somewhere around 2189," I fell off the mattress.

"What did you just say, guess my hearing went with my eyesight," I slowly picked myself off the floor and sat back on my mattress.

"2189, yes you heard right, it'll all be explained, be patient."

"I've been patient," I said firmly, "and now I have no hair, I was just sitting in a bowl of jell-o, a machine nearly killed me, I'm in a weird place with people I hardly know, now your saying it's the year 2189, yeah this happens everyday."

"You're not ready, you must rest," she said coolly walking back to the door.

"I'm not tired, and will I have some guy staring at me every time I sleep from now on?"  I said standing back up, Flame turned.

"Fine, come with me but I can't tell you everything," she opened the door.  "Welcome to the Prometheus."

"The what?" I whispered stepping out of my room into another room.  I had the uneasy feeling that we were moving.  Metal floors, metal walls, wires running everywhere; most to a huge pillar where near it was a chair.  This chair had about half a dozen keyboards, and maybe a dozen screens.  Most were blank but three weren't, those three had green flashing on them.

Like rain, I wanted too look at it, to stare to see what it truly was but Flame stopped me, she tapped my shoulder.  Edrahil seemed to watching those screens intently, he knew what it meant, I wanted to know.  The wires led to a dozen chairs, the where arranged in a semi circle.

"Here meet the rest of the crew," said Flame bursting my thought bubble.  I snapped my head back in her direction.  Standing there was Switch, Nephilim and a woman.  She had long black hair pulled back in some sort of messy bun.  She had darkish skin and a few black tattoos on her skin.  She was like a black beauty beside the white of Jade, but what made her really different, I noticed, she didn't have plugs like me and everyone else on the ship.

"You met Switch and Nephilim, this is Destiny, she's our operator," she said it like I knew exactly what she was talking about, an operator?  "Over at the operators chair is Edrahil," he waved, "I bet Mouse and Loki are up to some trouble somewhere.  Apollos is in the cockpit."

"The cockpit…" I asked, maybe I was on a ship.

"Oh forgot to mention, you're on a giant hovercraft, flying through giant old sewer systems."  Flame smiled, I just sorta stared.

"That's great!" I said trying to get a bearing on myself, well interesting way to tell me…


	7. Reality?

Sorry this took so long! Truly I am! But it's a LONG chapter and I'm already pretty far into the next, I just haven't been home much, skiing and stuff, and I had exams so I didn't have time.  SO SAD! But ANYWAYS, I did do some songfic and a fanfic of this fanfic (lol sounds funny)

Callouts!

alocin- yeah I fixed the typo things, I do the 'n't' thing a lot lol, it's annoying ANYWAYS, oh, that isn't bad for him lol, he's cruel, stuff like when I take a bath in Zion he sneaks up and SITS ON MY CLOTHES! Yeah, I beat him up for that…

Nagame- hehe, thanks!

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"This," continued Flame, "is the main deck, and over there," she said pointing down the hallway, "is the cockpit and the ladder to the lower floor.  She turned and pointed in the other direction, "over there are the storage rooms, the infirmary and then engineer rooms.  To your left is the mess hall, and you just came out of your room."  It was to the right of the mess hall, "next to you is Edrahil," then the hallway to the cockpit. 

"There's Loki's room and next to his is Destiny's, then Apollos, Nephilim and there's Mouse's."  She sighed, "take my advice DON'T go in there."

"Why?" I asked looking up at her she nodded her head.

"That's where he keeps, his STUFF" she said it like it was all of hell's demons, "in fact Loki's a bit scared to go in there, since the incident with, well, Loki calls it the headhunter Mouse claims it's a door warden."  She shook her head again, "Loki still has a lot of Mouse's stuff in his room, ever since Mouse ran out of room.  It's such a disaster."  I laughed to myself, reminded me of my brother with his month-year-old-stale Oreos and empty sprite cans littering the floor.  Along with his computer parts, programming books, programs.  Computer freak, I was sure he could have hacked into anything, in fact Dan called him a creep once and I knew he could hack.

"Over there," said Flame breaking my train of though and pointing past the hallway to the back of the ship, to the left of the mess hall, "is Jade's room."

"Where do you sleep?" I asked quickly.

"With her buea Nephilim," said a voice behind me, I turned.  Flame blushed.

"What are you doing Loki?  Where's Mouse?  Oh," she said turning back to me, "that's Loki."

Loki was a tall man with dusty blonde hair and blue-gray eyes.  In fact I though he was quite dashing, I smiled, I was pretty sure this guy had been well named.

"Am I not allowed to see the new girl?  Sheesh, it's not like I was lying anyways, if you want to keep it a secret get your OWN room.  Mouse said his life depended on not getting anywhere near her."  He laughed, I liked his laugh, and it almost felt like he was inviting you to join.  "Sorry kid," he said looking at me, "sometimes he can't seem to control himself.  I guess we shouldn't allow him to keep those programs if he doesn't grow up."

"I can't believe you ever let him HAVE them in the first place!" said Flame, "don't tell me you enjoy them too?"  By now I was way confused and totally not getting a word they were saying.

"Um," I said timidly.

"You disgust me, both of you," finished Flame before turning back to me.  "Never you mind, lets get you some food."  She turned back to Loki.  "Don't encourage it.  You're older then him, set a good example!"

"Let the kid do what he wants, must admit he's got talent!"  Flame turned in disgust and walked toward to mess hall.

"Guys," she muttered under her breath as I followed.

The mess hall was fairly big; there was a big metal table that filled most of the room.  It had a metal bench on both sides, on one wall was a cabinet, metal cups and bowls were stacked neatly by a sink.

Flame motioned for me to sit; I did and leaned my back against the wall.  She took out a bowl and a spoon from the drawer.  I pulled back my sleeve and looked at the plug in my arm, nothing made sense.  I'm not a patient person, I hate waiting, but this seemed worth it.

Flame placed the bowl in front of me with a thud.  I looked at it and let my sleeve roll back down my arm.

"What is this?" I asked looking at the whitish, almost chunky liquid in front of me.  I was strangely reminded of watery oatmeal from La Vida.

"Food," said Flame simply.  I looked at it, food?  I mean is it an animal or plant?  It looked kinda like nasty clam chowder, I hated clam chowder.

"What KIND of food?" I said daring to prod at it with my spoon.

"Some things are best not known," said Flame.  Okay fine, I'll wait to figure out why the hell I have no hair, where my old world went, why I have plugs all over my body, and why I'm flying on some ship, **BUT **I will not wait to find out what I'm eating.

"Well I'm not eating it until I know what it is; I mean is it a plant or animal?"  Flame sighed.

"Neither really, they grow it in Zion, it's mostly protein, it'll keep you alive, that's saying a lot," I made a face.  Grown? Ew.  So maybe it's fungus.  I decided that Flame was right, sometimes its best not knowing, but I was hungry.

I took a breath scooped up some and prayed it wasn't alive.

The taste was okay, cause, well there was no taste.  But the texture was so revolting.  It was sorta stringy, and then there were these clumps, and some where soft and some were sorta hard.  It was worse the scallops, I hated them too.  I let it slide down my throat, it was slimy too, and sorta sticky.

"Don't worry you get used to it," said Flame getting up to get a glass of, well I wasn't sure yet.  She placed it on the table.  I made a face and dared not look at what it was.  "It's water, sheesh!" said Flame, slightly annoyed.

I ate 'dinner' and was finishing my well whatever it was, the door opened.  It was Destiny.

"Apollos says she's ready, he wants to see her now," Flame looked sort of uncomfortable.  Destiny seemed a bit sad.

"Ready for…" I asked, this didn't seem good.

"An explanation," said Flame, as she picked up my bowl and mug.

That's how I found myself being shoved into a chair that was way too high for me.  They scanned my eyes and finger.  I didn't both asking, I knew I wouldn't be answered.  No one spoke.

Not until someone brought out a really long metal needle like thing.  I let out a nervous laugh.  Disclaimer laugh.

"This will take some getting used too," said Loki, I just gave in.

Then he shoved it in the hole on the back of my head.

Okay, that'll take A LOT of getting used to.

Whoa, whitewash, I mean that's worse then blizzards in New England.  What the hell is this?

"Araval," said a voice behind me.  Then I realized, no one had said my name, and now they were calling me by a character from a book of mine?  An old book too, that name goes back at least two years ago.

Sacred royalty, that's what it meant, whoever though I was that was gunna get a fist in the mouth.

Apollos was behind me, I turned.  He was wearing a suit like he was before, wherever I was before.  Then I looked at myself.

I had on jeans, a sweatshirt, tennis shoes, and I had my hair back, every strand.  I wanted to squeal in joy, but this didn't seem like the right time to start talking about my hair.  My plug were missing also, thank God, those were starting to gross me out.

"Look at yourself," he said I glanced at my feet again, it was my exact shoes I always had, they still had, 'Cat is sooooooooooo hott!!!' written in black ink, courtesy of Abby.

"Yeah," I said softly.

"It's what you looked like, no plug and your hair is back."  Thank God.  "It's called redusual self image, or RSI."

I gave him a blank stare.

"Its how you perceive yourself within a computer program."

"WITHIN A WHAT?!?!" I yelled back.

"A computer program," said Apollos calmly, I assumed then he had done this several times.  Like a broke tape replaying over and over.

"You mean this isn't real?" I said glancing around, I mean sure it was all white and glowy, it appeared I was standing on nothing and there was no ceiling, but yeah seemed plenty real to me.

"Well, reality is what you perceive it, you should know this already."  He was right, Mr. Shailer had drilled that.  I sighed, so now what?

"Yeah I know, but am I really here?" I asked.

"Not in body, but your mind is here," I was a little confused, not getting the big picture.  He seemed to get this, he snapped his fingers.

Suddenly it wasn't all white; I was standing in a field.  The blade of grass swayed in the breeze, nearly cloudless skies where overhead.  I could smell, feel, hear, taste and see everything.

"How can you tell this from reality?  If I hadn't told you how would you know this wasn't 'real'?"  I still wasn't getting it quite yet, call me slow but it was way too much for me to handle, he cut my thoughts short.  It turned white again.

"Well let's go back to the year 1999," said Apollos changing my train of thought completely.  "That's when humanity thought they were so smart, so great, they thought they were God."  He paced around me.  "We created a machine like a human; we thought it was so smart.  We thought we were better then them; something went so terribly wrong though, man versus machine."  The scene changed, it was like a charred desert, black and moody.  Huge burned buildings reached into the sky, thunder cracked overhead.  It was like a huge rain cloud that never ended.  "Machines got energy from the sky so we decided to cover it.  Somehow the machines survived and doubled the attack."  He looked back at me.  "We lost, machines took who was left.  It took years but they found a new energy source."

I was making a puzzle in my head, I was missing a piece.  I was staring to shake.  I felt like I was about to crash, a bad feeling.

"Have you ever felt like you weren't alive?  Like nothing was truly real?  Like you didn't belong?"  I didn't answer, I was supost to.  Silence was my answer, a yes.  "What was the energy source they found?" continued Apollos, "what are you generating now?"

I found the piece of the puzzle.

"It hasn't been real, you were a slave, a battery."

      I screamed, so what?  I wanted to kill him.

      He broke my reality, and I didn't care if it explained everything.

      Mr. Shailer did it once, he promised to never do it again, but Mr. Shailer caught me off guard, but it wasn't as big as this.  Nothing was bigger then this.  This was everything, not a piece of wood, everything.

      I understood what happened to me, I bet the others didn't.  I wondered what they had done, yelled, screamed…cried.  In case he didn't know, this is how you BREAK trust, not build it.  Guess he never took a theatre class.

      It was a mental impulse, a reaction that the human body can't hold it, because its mind is to strong.  Not a scream of terror, a scream of defiance, of hatred.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!  Get me out of this!  I don't believe this bullshit!"  I knew it was true, but like when Mr. Shailer shattered the reality I had, I still held on.

I wasn't letting go anytime soon.


	8. Programs

teehee, I had fun with all of Mouse's programs, especially Sally.  Two chapters in two days, NOT BAD!  I'm trying to make up being so slow before, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Hey, a callout, it was only a day haha…

Anna- hey! One of my (real life) friends decide to leave a review!  Anyways yeah thanks, I mean 'bother' all well I fixed it…

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My eyes flicked open, I struggled to get up but someone was holding me back, I fought.

"Let me go!" I yelled eyes darting to whatever was holding me down.  It's not happening, I told myself, it's not real.

"Calm down! Stay still!" Mouse, he was holding me down, telling me to stay still.  I stared at his cool eyes, I blanked.

Whatever I felt was real.  Heat, heat on my shoulder where he was keeping me down.  My trance was cut short by someone pushing my head back by my forehead, I thrashed back.  I wanted out; I wanted to be left alone.  That jerk of a captain did the worst thing you can do to a human being, to a person's mind.  I don't believe his crap.

Mouse was using he elbows on my chest to keep me still.  Then I felt to worst feeling, even worse then the sticking of it in, they yanked out the needle.  They let go of my head but Mouse still kept me down.

"Listen!" he said firmly, hair falling out of place, dancing on his forehead, "you got to BREATHE!"  He was right; I was hyperventilating, "calm down.  Breathe normally, you're gunna faint!"  I tried to get control of myself; he loosed his grip, "breathe normally, please."

Yeah well, easy for you to say.  I was getting over the truth of it all, at least enough to breath normally.  I was having another problem though, **him**.  I mean how about YOU try breathing normally when a really cute guy is leaning over you, holding you down, and obviously caring about you.

Yeah, breathe normally, right.

I was okay, well better.  My breathing was a bit better; Mouse lifted his hands from my shoulders.  Now I felt sick, really sick.  "I'm sorry…" whispered Mouse so quietly only I heard him.  He backed away.  I slowly lifted my head, no one spoke.  I was only acting slightly freakish, slightly psycho.  I was shaking, in a daze, totally not feeling like I was truly there.  I was surprised I could walk straight.  Brain overload, that equals extreme exhaustion, which means tears.  I was holding back.

That's when I collapsed.

                        *  *  *

Mouse's stomach is very comfortable to lie on.  He had convinced me to go into a program with me, I had held out for three days.

"You can have any dream world you could possibly imagine!" he said, I told him I had one hell of an imagination.

We ended up on a carpet, staring into a night sky.  The stars were as beautiful as a winter new Hampshire sky, but not as cold.

"God, I feel so stupid," I said breaking the silence; Mouse was fiddling with my hair, which I might add was nice to have back.

"Why?" he said staring at the sky, he was leaning against a rock; my head was against his stomach.

"Well, I freaked out and I dunno…"

"Eh, don't worry you actually weren't that bad.  I've seen way worse," that stars were so pretty, I could stare at them forever.  It was silent again.

"When were you freed?" I asked quietly.

"Two years ago," he stopped playing with my hair.

"So you were thirteen?"

"Yeah," I looked at him; he was still staring at the stars.

"Most have been hard…" I murmured.

"Not really, I wasn't very happy in the Matrix," he sighed, I had a feeling that I should push the subject.  Another silence, I didn't mind though, it was nice.

The past three days had been pretty hard; I was still pretty queasy from being freed.  I found out a lot, but I knew I still had loads to learn.  The first day I didn't leave my room, I was getting used to the food.  I had explored the ship; they explained the power plants, all of that.  They told me a little about Zion, all I knew is it was an underground city, they told me about the fleets of ships.  They explained the construct; they started to explain the Matrix.

"Technically I'm too young to be on this ship," he started, "the age limit is seventeen, I should be in a Zion orphanage."

"Why aren't you?" I asked.

"Apollos let me stay; he fought really hard to keep me on this ship."

"Why?" he started to play with my hair again.

"Because the Oracle told him to," he said it firmly.

"Who's the Oracle?"

"Well," he started, "she's a guide, she will tell you things."

"What things? The future?"

"She tells you what you need to know," he heaved a sigh.  Once again, don't press the subject.  But I had a bit of curiosity.  He looked at me.

"What did she tell you?" I said looking back at him.  He stayed silent and looked away, back into the sky.  Then I felt stupid.  I looked away, to my hands I was resting on my stomach.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me," I said quietly.  He didn't say anything, I decided to leave the silence be.  We must have been starring into the sky for about five minutes.

"You will probably see her soon," then he changed subjects suddenly.  "I hope they don't leave you in Zion."

"What is it like there?" I asked looking back at him.

"It's nice I guess, most everyone helps everyone else, they survive together.  There are a lot of people, a lot of parties.  There is even some real food, and there is usually a good game old Gatza going on."

"What's Gatza?" I said suddenly.

"Oh," he continued dreamily, "it's like poker, with special dice and cards.  There are waterfalls they use for showers too…" I had to admit it sounded nice.  "And it's always warm, but it's nice only once in a while.  It's nice as a treat, otherwise it would get boring."

"If that happened would I come back to this ship?" I asked suddenly, cutting off Mouse's daydreaming about Zion.

"Probably not, but I would hope so, but lets not think like that.  You're gunna stay on this ship if Apollos has any say at all."

                        *  *  *

"Come here," said Mouse the next day.

"What?" I asked as I walked down from the cockpit, Flame had been showing me some controls on the radar.

"I want to show you something," he took my hand and led me to the main deck.  Loki was there; he was like a second operator, he didn't operate while we were in the matrix but he was good enough for the construct.

                        *  *  *

The white of the construct, then I was standing on a city street, an alleyway.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Well I wanted you to meet some people, just before you start your training and all."  I looked at him strangely.

The sound of heels on pavement came from down the alley; I turned my head to look.  There was a girl walking to us, her long brown hair danced around her shoulder elegantly.  She was wearing a pale blue dress and holding a purse delicately.

"This is Charlotte," she Mouse as she extended her hand out to mine.  "She's a very good program, quite a personality; I'm starting to not expect what she is going to do next."  I took her hand and smiled.

"Pleasure," she said sweetly.  "Mouse," she said in a cool voice, "can you tell your friend Loki to stop following me, I don't have much of a liking for him."

"Sure," he said.

"Thanks," she bent down and kissed his cheek.  She turned to me, "careful with the kid, he's pretty fragile."  She walked away and disappeared around the corner.

Mouse was chuckling to himself.  "I told you they had personality."

"So that's what Loki and Flame were arguing about…" he kept on laughing.  "So you MADE her?" he nodded, "I'm not gunna ask why…"  He seemed to agree.

"Here, I'll show you some new ones I've made for a friend of mine," he snapped his fingers.  We were in a building, and on the end where some men in black.  Even were loaded with weapons, each looked pretty formidable.

"These are some guards I made for Jalax," he admired them and they practice there fighting.  "I hope he likes them, I made them extremely durable."  The scene changed again, this time to a sunny sidewalk, it was completely silent until I heard the sound of someone running.

"Oh brother," muttered Mouse before turning to meet the new program running to him.  It was another girl, she was wearing a skirt and huge flip-flops, her blonde hair was pulled back and her tank top matched her flip-flops.

"You came back!" she said giggling, she tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck.  "I knew you would, I knew you wouldn't leave me!"  She was beaming at him, he looked like he was about to be sick.

"Well um, sorry Sally I just got really busy and…" she saw me.  Her expression changed totally.

"Oh so you found someone else huh?  Someone real?  Well thanks," she looked at me, "he's not very faithful hun, I would dump him while you can."  She let go of Mouse, "get lost!" she said kicking him in the shins before walking away in those ridiculous flip-flops.  He winced in pain as she walked away.

"I don't understand why I ever found girls like that attractive," he nodded his head in shame, "she'll be okay don't worry, she's pretty stupid."  She actually reminded me of Amanda Brown, which was pretty scary, but also pretty funny.

After that he showed me some training programs that I could practice fighting, I didn't fight but I met the masters.  After that I let Jade teach me how to weld.  After dinner I was told I would start training the next day, fight training.


	9. Fighting

First of all I AM SOOOO SORRY! But I had Sci fair and blah I have been writing just not this part…so sorry sorry sorry! Anyways this chapter is long to make up for it! Lol…

And Nagame (max lol) I want to! I really do! But I can do story boards to save my life!

O and look at my .hacksign thing…I was bored on day and started writing that…

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Destiny had helped me with my chair, she showed me that it scanned the eyes and fingerprint.  She had plugged me in, but this time I stayed in the real world, I wasn't sent to the construct.

"How about some good old gymnastics?" she asked.

"Sure, I used to do that, never was much good."

"Oh, you will be now," she said smiling taking out a small disk; she was sitting at her chair.  She placed it into a small opening below the screens.

Overload, and then I relaxed.  I knew I could do any gymnastics move ever created.  Whoa.  Destiny grinned.  "Cool huh?" she said as she typed on the keyboard, "lets do some serious stuff."  I just gaped in awe.

I knew every fighting style ever created, stuff I didn't even know existed; it took a long time.  Me lying there, Destiny sticking in more disks, my brain overloading, Mouse came by sometimes.  He made a lot of these programs supposedly.  After a while I was given a lunch break.

"How's it going?" asked Loki as he joined me.

"Okay I guess.  How much do I have to learn?" I took a spoonful of the goop and shoved it into my mouth.

"Oh," he said leaning back, "you're probably pretty much done, and if you ever need more, they can program it into you at any time."  Nothing ever seemed to dampen the twenty-year-old's spirit.  Everything had a good side, everything was a joke.  Except when it came to fighting, I had heard some stories where he was a downright awesome fighter.

He wasn't even using a spoon; he just picked up the bowl and drank the stuff.  It was gone in seconds.

"So, how's life been?" he said placing the empty bowl back on the table.  I shrugged.  "Teenagers," he mumbled, "never say anything."

"Well," I said putting the spoon back into the bowl, "lets just say that at age fifteen I was yanked out of high school, woke up in jell-o (with no hair mind you), told my whole life was a lie, and is now on a flying ship and being taught Kung-Fu."  Loki laughed, but I didn't join in.

"I was fifteen too you know," he said leaning over the table towards me, "but I was sent to an orphanage."  THAT caught my attention.

"What was it like?" I asked, forgetting my lunch.

"It was okay I guess, I wouldn't want to go back," well comforting, I hoped I wouldn't have to go there.  "Technically you shouldn't be taught how to fight yet, and we should be going back to Zion but Apollos doesn't like following orders."

"Why?" I asked.

"I dunno, doesn't like the man in charge of this part of the fleet.  The head general is fine, but he can't stand Zarofe."

"How many ships are there?"

"Maybe," Loki looked at the ceiling, counting in his head, "forty or so, Zarofe is in charge of about a dozen.  Including the Alpha and the Hunter, the captain of the Alpha was the one who freed me.  Her name is Pricilla, you don't mess with her."  He smiled, "funny she's the captain and yet her husband is only second in command.  The Hunter is one of the most heavily armed ships in the fleet, and so Zarofe's favorite of course."  He looked back at me, "better eat up, cause I bet you they will test you soon."

"Test me?" I said picking up my spoon and shoving down some more of the slop.

"Yeah, see how well you fight."

"How well I what?" I said dropping my spoon.

"You don't think we will just let you learn to fight and not see your style or anything."  Well sorry if I DID.  The door opened.

"Common Ara, about time we see you fight," said Edrahil.  Loki gave me the 'told-ya-so' look, I gulped.

*  *  *

"Jump," said Apollos.

"What?" I said in disbelief daring a glance over the edge of the building.

"Jump across," he said again, he turned and walked a bit from the edge.  Well sorry if I'm afraid of heights and everything, but jumping between skyscrapers ain't my thing.  And yes I can say ain't, I am from Tennessee.

No way, no freaking way will I jumping across a huge distance this high in the air.

"Just believe you can and you will," he ran, right towards the edge, and jumped.  He was running on air, yeah okay maybe in martial arts movies…but heh not here.  No way, I can't stand heights; I was never good at the long jump.  My brother and I had always had competitions on the beach, but that was when I was small.  Apollos was waiting, I gave him a glare, which he might not have seen from that far away.  He was expecting me to do it, yeah okay.

Just jump.

Ha.

Fat chance.

But I back away from the edge anyways, I can do this.  It's a stupid and impossible jump but if some old guy can, I can.  I think, but that's all that matters right?

Think you can.

Think you can.

I ran to the edge.  Apparently thinking you can isn't enough.  The mental bridge thing fails about halfway across when I looked down.  Opps.

Well anyways, I hate falling, and I never really wanted to go sky diving, but that's what I got.  Why don't you free Orlando Bloom?  He would have a blast, him and his sky diving/bungee jumping obsession.

If you couldn't tell already I wasn't appreciating this 'training' so far, I'd take long block Spanish any day compared to this.  I don't care if the concrete bends when you hit it, it goes right back solid when you come back down.  Totally not cool, and then he says 'don't worry no one makes the first jump', well if you knew I was going to fall you could have made the landing a little more comfortable.

The scenery immediately changed.  A room, with a doorway was before me.  "Open the door," said Apollos, it wasn't a request it was a command.  I grasped the handle, it opened.  A huge field was before me, I closed it.  I opened it again, another room with a door.  I clearly looked puzzled.  "Go on…" said Apollos, emotionless as ever.  I went through.  Morpheus followed and shut the door.  The door disappeared into the wall.

      All this was sort of freaking me out.  I went to the other door heart pounding…what it I fell into space or something…?  I thought, _nothing's real_.  I took a breath and opened the door.  A city, a huge city with cars honking EVERYTHING, was right outside.  I closed it.  I opened it again.  This time I saw space…planets galaxies.  I opened it again.  Another room with a door appeared.  I walked boldly through and Apollos followed.

The door we came through vanished and I walked to the next.  I opened it.  Water…a whole ocean kept back by some invisible wall.  I looked at Apollos.  He nodded and motioned me to put my hand in.  I stuck it in.  It went straight through the invisible wall, I could feel the water.  I pulled my hand back.

It was wet.

Freaking out MIGHT be an understatement around now.  _It's just a program it's just s program, STOP FREAKING OUT!_

"Good, its working this program will do you no more good."  Said Apollos I just sort of glared at him.  He snapped his fingers, everything disappeared and a kung-fu studio materialized.

      "Oh no…"  I said walking back and nearly missing a pillar.  "No…no…oh no…"  I mumbled.  Apollos just moved into position.  I can't fight! Is this man crazy?  Well I got in the middle and tried to calm down.  He motioned me to charge.  I charged and kicked at his head.  He ducked and came at me.  I was falling back trying to stop his blows.

      "You can go faster!"  He cried as I fell to the ground.  Faster isn't possible…sorry!  I came at him again faked a punch and went for the side.  Didn't work I found myself slammed against a pillar.  It cracked or maybe it was my back but it hurt, but I was right back at him trying to get him as best I could.  I was doing better, but Apollos kept bending the rules ever so slightly.  Rules-that no matter what-my mind would not let me bend or break.

Eventually Apollos sighed and told me I should have a break.  I very much agreed, but it turns out-a break was very different then I expected.  Mouse had just entered with two sabers.  He pointed the wall were two more were hanging.  I grabbed two and watched Mouse as he swung his a few times to get the weight right.  He turned looked at me and swung the air.  He charged first, I held up my own swords to stop the blows, then I swung he jumped back I swung again he ducked.  Then he swung at my again.  Double flip back and I was ready.  Up, down, left, right the blades swung the clash of them colliding and the wiping noise of them hitting nothing. Apollos watched carefully from the pillars.  He swiped at me again I dodged and went behind a pillar.  He swung again hit the pillar and then the other side as I strained to protect myself.

"Bend the rules!" he commanded.

"I," I said swinging wildly, "can't!"  He stopped.  I caught my breath.  Then he pulled out blindfolds.

"You need to use your other senses."  He explained throwing me a blindfold.

"This is insane." I said as I tied it on.  I closed my eyes and listened carefully.  I had always been good at listening to sounds, catching soft noises in a din of noise.  I heard Mouse sneaking around to my left.  I stayed in the same spot but turned.  He paused, and then he charged.  I swung my right sword up to try to protect myself from the blade I heard coming down.  It collided.  That should please Apollos, I thought.  Now I swung Mouse blocked and again.  He had jumped back.  I followed his quiet footsteps and swung again.  The blades crashed I swung my other sword.  It collided also.  Then he was gone.  I couldn't hear him.  I was beginning to panic and spun wildly.  Then I was quiet.

Sixth sense is more then a movie.  _In __Russia__ they can feel people doing things behind them, you can too when someone enters a room and you feel there presence.  It's the energy coming off your back being disturbed._  Theatre class.  Breathe, concentrate, in a way be on with your energy.

_This in not theatre voodoo.___

No, it wasn't he was coming from the right.  I put out both blades to block his.  He missed me and I swung at him.  I got air; he had come to the left.  He swung, it hit my leg.

Pain like nothing you have felt in your life was running up my leg.  I let out a yelp and feel to my knees.  Mouse had taken of his blindfold and had come to take off mine.  Crimson blood ran from the huge gash on my leg.

"You did well," he said I glared.  I mean it hurt, badly.  Apollos walked over.

"Yes you did well, here," said Apollos as the program changed to an emergency room; an emergency room just for me.  They had me sewed up in no time.  They let me out then.  Though there was no cut on my leg it hurt like crazy.

"Your mind will heal quickly," said Apollos lightly.  Comforting, well sorry it hurts NOW, I grumbled.  I went to my room and rubbed my leg where it had but cut so badly.  This was so weird, I thought, what the heck is going on?  Mouse opened the door later asked how I was.  Felt like saying, "I feel like crap go away," but I managed a smile.

"It's really weird, but it should be ok soon."  He smiled and said it was dinner time.

                              * * *

"You see soon your mind will either heal or just notice that it actually never happened.  Once it sees that nothing is wrong with your leg it will heal."  Mouse explained later.  "It's only your mind that's hurting you…It's only your mind that will kill you."

      "When will I see the oracle?"  I asked quietly bring my head up from staring in fascination at my leg.

      "Basically whenever you heal and Jalax tells us that the Agents are not expecting anything.  If you're not fully healed your mind will see the wound and make everything a million times worse."

      "Who's Jalax?" I asked.

      "He's one of the best things about the Matrix," said Mouse with a grin.  "For more then one reason, he's a spy in the Matrix."  Jade had just come over from across the room.

      "Forgot to mention your favorite part," she said, "he owns a club."  I grinned even more.

      "ANYWAYS," said Mouse as Jade walked on laughing, "he's not exactly totally legal.  He counterfeits money and being a program he can make it impossible to tell it from 'real' money.  Course none of its real anyways…"  Mouse shifted his weight on the box he was sitting on.  "We look out for him and him for us.  I also am coming up with new programs for him to use; guards, bartenders the like."

      "Oh," I said quietly.  My leg still hurt but it was much better now.  I looked down at it again.

      "Oh that should heal within a day," said Mouse.  "Well you better get some sleep."  I tried to get back up but I fell to the floor, pain running up my leg.

      "Oh, almost forgot here," said Mouse he helped my up and had me lean on him to get back to my room.

      "Thanks, night," I said softly as he helped me down.

      "Night," he said softly as he let go of my hand.

      "GET OUT OF HER ROOM MOUSE!"  I heard Trinity yell.  I laughed he gave me on last glance and left closing the door gently.


	10. Oracle

Whaheee…most of this I had written and was okay with it so yeah it came quick

Thanks to Matt for catching two wrong names in the last chapter

But now I am at the end of all I have written so…not sure what will happen next, but I do have a lot of Zion written so those chapters will come out quick! I hope I'm making up for being so slow before!

AND REVIEW DARNNIT!

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      My door opened slowly, it was Edrahil.  "You should get up now…" he said softly, "how's the leg?"  I rolled over slowly; it barely hurt just a dull pain.

      "Much better thanks," I said softly as I slowly slid the covers off my self and slid out of bed.  "I'll be out in a second," I said as I grabbed my boots.

      "Okay," he said as he shut the door.  I buckled my boots slowly looking at my leg; the pain was almost completely gone if I looked at the perfectly normal leg.  My mind was almost convinced it hadn't happened.

      I closed the door quietly as I walked unto the main deck.  Loki looked up from his welding; he nodded to me and then pulled his eye shield back down.  I walked into the dinning hall just as Apollos was leaving; I bowed my head with respect as he passed by.  Edrahil, Jade and Switch were sitting there.  Edrahil and Jade got up, Edrahil gave me a smile, Jade mumbled a quiet 'good morning'.

      "Here," said Flame as they left, "have some breakfast."  She gestured to a bowl.  I sat in front of it, across from Flame.  "Jalax sent word, today you see her, if your leg is ready."  Notice not if **I** was ready, I certainty didn't feel ready.

      "The Oracle?" I said quietly dragging my bowl towards me.  Flame nodded. I decided that it didn't matter if I was ready, they knew better anyways.  I didn't talk much and neither did Flame as I ate.  I left her sitting there in deep thought.

      Destiny looked up from the screen as I passed.  "Ah," she said looking at me as I passed, "seeing the Oracle today?"

      "Yes, how did you know?"  I asked.

      "You can always tell be the way they look, scared, worried excited."  Her eyes flicked back to the screen.  An awkward silence followed as my eyes passed over the main deck.

      "I'll be in my room if anyone wants me…" I said softly, I left, Destiny nodded as she watched the ever changing Matrix.

      I lay on the bed back against the wall, staring at the wall in front of me.  I would see the Oracle and find out why I was here.  I had been waiting for this moment, dreading it, but at the same time wishing it would come, that this nagging feeling of uselessness would pass.

      Saving the world is much different then you would probably expect.  Sure in the movies it's all glorious and everyone is so nice and clean, everything works out.  When the truth is, here you don't get showers or anything, it's not very exciting either, I mean it's just another routine.  Except the added stress that you could die pretty easily.

      Cheery ain't it?

     Jade eventually opened my door, "Apollos wants to see you."  She said, only pausing to look into my eyes before leaving.

I got up slowly, leaving through the open door and shutting it slowly behind me.  I turned Destiny was typing away on the keyboard, Loki was beside her double checking everything.  Apollos was waiting not far from my door.

"Let us not waste time," he said as he turned and I followed.  Flame, Edrahil, Nephilim, Mouse and Jade were all at their chairs.  I pulled down my screen logged in and Apollos plugged me in.  I was in, Edrahil next to me.  Apollos appeared, first in code, beside me.

"Nephilim, Flame, we shouldn't be more then an hour, Mouse," he jerked his head up at the sound of his name.

"Yesir," he said awaiting his command.

"Keep an eye on them," said Apollos with a small grin.

"Don't worry I'll make sure they don't lollygag," he shoot Nephilim a smile.  "See ya…" he said to me as I turned to leave.

"I'll see you in an hour," I said as I turned disappointed he was being left.  Jade and Edrahil followed Apollos and me.

Only small glimpses of light could make it through the New York skyline as I walked to the car, a black sedan.

      "I remember coming here with my sister once," I said softly as I watched buildings go by.  I turned to Jade, "but she never was my sister, was she?"

      "Not physically, but nothing here is physical.  If you were adopted and loved your adopted family wouldn't you care for them like a family? Wouldn't you call then your family?" said Jade looking across the seat to me.  "You see? The machines cannot take everything away."

      I didn't say anything for the rest of the trip.  Edrahil took me into the apartment, Jade and Apollos hung around outside.  The elevator ride seemed to take hours.

      "She will only tell you what you are ready to hear," said Edrahil, seeing me freaked out of my mind.

      "I don't feel ready to be told anything," I said eyes, glancing to the pall metal elevator door.

      "The Oracle knows what you are ready to hear and what you aren't," stated Edrahil as the elevator slowed and the door opened.  He left first; we walked down the long white hallway, past dozens of black doors.

     The door was black like the rest, I took a deep breath grabbed the handle and turned.

      "The Oracle has been waiting for you…" said the young woman who opened the door, "you can follow me.  Edrahil help yourself," she said, she turned robe trailing behind her.  He nodded as he placed his sunglasses on the table.  I followed the woman into a living room, "you can wait here she will see you in a moment."  I took of my sunglasses and placed them on a deck table.

      There were a few kids, all not paying any attention to me.  One was reading a book, 'The Laws of Gravity and Physics'.  I smiled, smart kid.  One was sitting in a corner watching blocks spin from their mind spinning.  One gave me, the leather wearing, sunglass wearing creep, a fleeting glance, I gave her a smile.  She gave a quick one back before continuing levitating a feather.

      "She will see you now…" said the woman behind me.  I gave one last look at the room before following the woman into a short hallway.

      The beads rang like drops of water falling, as I walked into the room, pushing them aside carefully.  The Oracle was not what I expected…an old woman baking cookies?  Well it keeps a low profile doesn't it?

      "Ah, Araval have a seat," I sat slowly.  The Oracle smiled as she set the timer for something in the oven, it smelt awfully good.  "Don't worry they wont take long to cook," she commented turned back towards me with a smile.  "Now," she said as she took a seat and took out a cigarette."  She turned it over in her hand, like she had done it over a million times.  "You want to know why you have been freed.  You are no hacker, you can't write programs.  Your brother could but you don't have enough skill to be like Mouse."  She took out a lighter, "ah Mouse, now that's complicated."

      "What about him…?" I said leaning forward slightly.

      "Oh, nothing but watch it, such a weakness for humans."  Now I had MORE questions.  So first off don't ask an oracle questions.  She lit the cigarette, "yes well, there are a few reasons for you being freed."  She sighed as she leaned back putting the cigarette into her mouth.  She let out a long breath, smoke rising slowly to the ceiling.  I waited patiently, attentively.  "Well, you are quiet an amazing girl, your different.  No you are not the One," she said as my heart quickened, anything but the one…anything but the one.  "Anything?" she said as I gripped the arm of my chair.  "You will bring about change, great change."  She put the cigarette into her mouth again, letting another slow breath come out.  "'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness forced upon them.'"

      "Shakespeare…" I muttered under my breath.  The Oracle nodded as she shoved the butt of the cigarette into the tray.

      "I know you won't want to hear this, in fact all it seems I give is 'bad news'.  Though this may seem bad to you know it really is good news."  Okay, question mark.  "You're gunna have a kid…"

      "JESUS CHRIST! HOLY MARKEL!"  I screamed before jumping out of my seat, "I CAN'T STAND KIDS! And…ah ah…how the hell will I UGH!"  If the Oracle found this amusing she didn't show it.  "Tell me your JOKING; I'm too young for a kid! I'm…I'm not ready!" I quieted my voice, "are you nuts?"

      "I'm not joking, and I'm pretty sure I'm sane.  If you weren't ready I wouldn't have told you.  I'm cutting the crap here, let me finish."  I sighed and slowly took my seat again.  "You will have a kid, that kid will be the One."

      "The what…?  Oh God…" overload.

      "Look you have time, you're right you are too young now.  But when you know what you need to know, and you will know when you know you cannot waste time."  That's a lot of 'knows', I thought.

      "Know what?" _opps, don't ask questions!_

      "Oh, you'll know when you are ready," said the Oracle with a somewhat smug smile on her face.  The timer dinged, "but for now please take a cookie."  She stood up and opened the oven door and brought out a tray.

      "You know I will refuse don't you?" I said softly trying to control my mind.

      "Yes and I also know that you will take one after I insist."

      "Then why do I bother refusing?"

      "Because you choose to, if the choice means nothing to you then what are you fighting for?  Freedom is the right to choose, if you don't choose why do you fight?"  I decided to rewind and go back to where I was going to refuse.

      "No thank you."

      "No, please, I insist," she said as she held one out on a napkin.

      "Thank you," I said as I took the cookie.  She pulled back her hands while her face turned into an expression of pity.

      "I wish I could tell you more, but you aren't ready.  Remember this; this is not for the others to hear.  You will know when they are ready.  I'm sorry kid, I wish I could help you," I took a bite of the cookie.  "I'll know when you are ready; you'll see me again soon."

      "Soon is relative," I said as I turned to leave.  "Good bye Oracle."

      "Till we meet again," said the Oracle pausing only for a minute in the doorway as I left before returning to taking the cookies of the tray.

      I left the jingling beads, down the hall to the living room.  I picked up my sunglasses as Edrahil walked in.  I suppose I looked a little upset, but he tried to not look like he could tell.  I'm sure he was just itching to ask what she had told me.  Any bit of good news is like gold to these people, they live without hope.

      "I have to see her for a minute," he told me.

      He walked back through where I had come.  Kids ah! They were everywhere.  Best get to like them more.

      He came back quickly.

      "You're staying with us, the Oracle wishes it," he told me as he walked out, me following.

      We walked down the hallway.

      "I don't think I was ready…" I whispered.  "Who says an Oracle can tell when you are ready and when you are not?"

      "An Oracle is just that, an Oracle, not a dictator of your life," said Edrahil; he pushed the level one button on the elevator.  Then tell me who is, I thought, so I can put them into order.

      I just stared out the window on the way back, they didn't talk to me.  I suppose they get used to this, having others see the Oracle and not be particularly happy afterward.


	11. Sentinels

Originally this was gunna be to but they were way to short and I wanted to end it there so it's one chapter…thank god for my brother getting that James Bond movie, came up with that whole thing…random whim

Mirimax-o thanks, um…punctuation? I'll try, plots fine…haha, trust me I got THAT down, and as for proof reading yeah sure I guess…if you want to…

Oh and this is now on elftown too so ill get way less reviews *sobs* but ill get comments and it's easier that way on elftown…

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      I was running as fast as I could.  I was in the door program, whether running _from_ something or _to_ something I hadn't a clue.  It was door after door and each one leading into another room.  I was running faster now and my heart was pounding.  I opened a door and there was no room, it was a black void of nothingness.  I tried to stop but it was moving so fast and I slipped.  I fell…and fell I couldn't stop, I couldn't see anything, couldn't feel, it was nothingness that I was falling through.  Finally I stopped, but I hadn't hit anything I just stopped.  I couldn't move, I didn't want to either.  But I could hear.  "Run!" cried a woman.  "NO!" yelled as a man.  A gun fired once twice.  A body hit the floor.

      I gasped as I woke with a start.  Who was that?  Was this just me?  Would it happen? And why couldn't I help?  I shook it off as a bad feeling and fell back into my mattress.

      We were on our way to Zion, and it seemed Mouse was a bit edgy.  Or maybe it was just me, but he tried to stay out of my way.  Stupid Oracle.

      Zion, the last city, and I know nothing about it; and I wasn't being told either.  Whatever it was I seemed like it was going to be good, even Jade seemed to be in a good mood.  Other then Mouse the crew seemed happily anticipating their vacations, it also seemed I was either the only one who noticed Mouse's antsy ness or only one who didn't understand why.

      I would have liked to think he didn't want me to go.

      I was very happy to see that my hair would be an acceptable length by the time we got there, is was growing considerably fast.  It was breakfast, and even though the good mood sweep had washed over Jade she was still in a bad mood.

      She had just bumped into the table and was cursing while rubbing her hip.

      "AH DAMN HIP! Why do I have to be A GODDAMN GIRL!?!"  Edrahil was shrinking away, slowly coming to the table, against the wall.  "THESE STUPID HIPS JUST WANT TO RUN INTO EVERYTHING! ARGGGG!"

      I stifled a laugh and as she turned on me I put up a serious expression.  She looked at me suspiciously, but I'm a klutz too, and yes those damn hips DO want to run into everything.  She looked away grumbling while getting a bowl.  Edrahil had taken a seat and looked at me, I laughed, and he let out a chuckle.

      Jade had come back and slammed her bowl on the table next to Edrahil, who was now pretending to choke.  She took a couple bites to cool of and then taking a break asked, "doesn't it SUCK being a girl?"  I looked at her raising an eyebrow.

      "It has its downs," I answered; Edrahil gave me an uncomfortable look.  I am no expert but I think he likes Jade.

      My thoughts were cut short when the alarm went off.

      "Sentinels!" yelled Jade slamming her spoon on the table and getting up quickly.  Edrahil got up too as I clumsily got up, they had already opened the door.

      Destiny had run to the cockpit, where Flame and Apollos waited.  Mouse walked past me.  "Stay here," he commanded me.  I didn't listen; he has no authority over me.  I followed him to the cockpit.

      "What are you…I told you," but Flame motioned silence.  He shut up but shot me a horrible glance.  I shrugged.  Flame was landing to hovercraft into the debris of the sewer floor.

      "How many?" asked Destiny.

      "Three or more, I don't want them following us to Zion," whispered Flame, who had landed the plane and was shutting it down.  "EMP ready," she pulled out a button covered with a box labeled 'EMP'.

      Then I saw why they called them 'squiddies'.  They looked like metal squids, but something about the 'ies' make it seem do benevolent, doesn't really fit.  Four of them, they searched around until one of them popped up right near us, before it saw us Flame was forced to push the EMP, so we weren't found and reported-or destroyed.  They all fell and the electrical force flowed from the ship.

      "I'll the close on quickly," stated Edrahil.

      "Careful!" said Flame, "I always wondered if this was worth it…"  Edrahil left the cockpit as Flame started to turn the ship back on.  The hum was strangely comforting, Jade followed Edrahil and Flame pressed a button.

      "What are they doing?" I asked Mouse, but he turned away from me, "geesh…"  I turned to Flame.

      "Checking the Sentinel number," she said sighing, "each Sentinel has a number- which is how many of them are out.  Most of the time the newest ones are sent to the sewers, I'm not sure why.  If you think of them as humans the new ones get the worst job, or maybe it's to see if they are trustworthy, but maybe it's just the newest types are sent on the tough jobs.  Whatever it is we watch them, if there is a big increase we can assume they found Zion and are about to attack- or are suddenly afraid and on the lookout."

      "Oh," I said, "well I guess that makes sense."

      "In theory, but we are some of the few who do it- most think it's just too dangerous and for no purpose."  The intercom came on, Edrahil spoke into it.

      "Number, 15859 Z-33, they must have a new Z type," Flame pressed the button and spoke back.

      "Ok that sounds about right, they are making them as normal, ill shut the door…"  She pressed the button again.  "Ok, shows over go back to whatever," she began to press buttons and took up the controls again.  I turned and began to walk back down the hallway, Mouse followed.

      "Next time listen to me," he hissed in my ear.

      "Why? Maybe I want to learn things other then just then a Sentinel is a big metal thing you better not get near."  I said turning on him sharply, "so huh? Maybe I don't want to be kept in the dark; just maybe I want to learn stuff."

      "Will you let me tell you why you should listen to me?" he snapped back.  He waited and I said nothing so he continued, "because here you do what someone says when they say it, no matter what it is.  It's a safety thing, we don't have time to argue or to second guess we have to trust each other.  If there was an axe swing to cut of your head and I tell you to duck you better not argue with me not to tell you what to do."

      I saw his point but ignored that.  "Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked changing the subject.

      "No, not hungry." He said not looking at me.

      "You've been acting weird you ok?"  I said looking straight at him boring him down.

      "I'm fine okay?" he said rather quickly suddenly taking interest in the wall to my right.

      "Common," I said taking his hand, "just come eat something you didn't have much at dinner last night."  He squeezed my hand and nodded silently.

*  *  *

      Flame knocked hard on my door that morning.  I hate getting up, always have.  My mother always said teenagers sleep more soundly then adults, making waking up a million times harder.  Well I guess Flame has never heard of that, or she's not one for favoritism- except with Nephilim.  I grumbled but got up fairly fast, threw on some clothes and strapped on some boots.

      I burst out my room, tripping on an uneven board.  I'm such a klutz, I have no idea how I've never managed to get a concussion.  I've fallen of bunk beds and then had them land on me, fallen of a four foot high rope and nearly hit my head on a rock, nearly knocked myself out surfing.  I've hit my head so many times I can't remember where or when anymore.  It's all sorta a blur.

      I growled and kicked the chair in front of me to vent some frustration about my clumsiness.  Flame arched an eyebrow at me.  Not only was I one of the first ones up but I was all set to fight.

      "Watch it," she said, "you'll end up like Jade."

      "I'm just, so, damn, clumsy!" I ended the last three words with a kick.  Flame sighed and continued to bang on Jades door.

      "Just get up JADE!" she yelled and ended with a really hard knock.  She sighed in frustration before walking to the mess hall where Edrahil, Apollos and Destiny were eating.  I began to follow her when Mouse's door opened.  I turned back and my breath got caught in my throat.  He was shirtless, and for a guy his age- phew.

      "Something wrong?" he asked, I swallowed.  He was right in front of me now.  I scratched the back of my head, making it LOOK like I was looking at the floor.

      "Um…no…no, I don't think so, just the morning you know? Just sorta 'whoooo' you know?"  Wow, articulate I know.

      "Because if you feel sick or anything be sure to tell us, we do have medical equipment and everything…" he said putting on his shirt.

      "Oh, no I'm fine," I said looking back up, now his hair was messed up from the shirt collar.  "Here," I said reaching up to fix it with my fingers.  His hair is stubborn.

      "Ah, whatever," he said, flipping his head forward and messing up his own hair with his hands.  He flipped it back and it flopped around.  He narrowed his eyes and his mouth curled into a slight smile.  "My names Bond, James Bond."  He said mimicking a deep English accent.  I laughed and he stayed composed.

      "Well now that you've told me your name and I'm the pretty girl you just rescued I've got to sleep with you!"  I said, managing to compose myself.

      "Well," he said in that same deep English accent, "I never really rescued you but," he leaned closer almost making me fall on the chair behind me.  "The reward would be much appreciated."  He put out his hand to rest on the arm of the chair, but he slipped.  He was nearly on top of my anyways but now he fell, and yes, landed on me as I tumbled into the chair.

      Jade just had to get up then.

      "Get a room," she growled before walking into the mess hall, closing the door again behind her, well slammed it actually.  I giggled and he stifled a laugh.

      "You meant to miss didn't you!" I exclaimed quickly, words tumbling out of my mouth.

      "Um…" stumbled Mouse, I gave him an angry look before trying to say something.  He kissed me lightly, but enough to stop me from saying anything.  I shoved his face off of mine.

      "Common, before someone else gets the wrong idea…"

      "Or maybe it's not a wrong idea…"

      "Oh shut up," I snapped before shoving him off me.  I walked briskly to the mess hall, "you coming?" I asked.  He was still standing by the chair; he seemed to be in a trance.

      "Yeah," he said distractively, "I'll be there in just a second."

      Like I said, he was acting really weird.  One minute he is concentrated on one thing, and the other he's spacing out.

      "Well that was a quickie Mouse, been trying to beat some record?  See which is faster a program or someone real?" said Jade sarcastically, barely looking up from her food.  He heaved a sigh before passing me to get us some bowls.

      "He just tripped and fell," I said just trying to gain some of my pride.

      "Well next time he just happens to 'fall' on you make sure it's NOT on the chairs.  They are awfully hard to get and you know, don't want you breaking anything."  Mouse handed me a bowl full of slop before whispering to me to let it go.

      Flame gave Mouse a stern look, Apollos paid no mind.  Destiny seemed amused but wouldn't let it show.  There was an uncomfortable silence before Loki came in.  Loki had everyone laughing in minutes-except Flame who never laughed at him.  But Mouse's laugh seemed hollow, and as he got up to put away his bowl I noticed he had hardly eaten.

      "EAT MOUSE DAMNIT!" I said finally slamming my fist on the table.  He turned and gave me a really painful look.  Everyone went silent- second uncomfortable silence of the day.  Go me.  _Ok I'll shut up now…_  Strangely he listened and sat back down.  Uncomfortable? Yeah, cause it seemed like everyone was wondering what was wrong with me.

      After we finished eating Flame went to take Nephilim's position at the cockpit.  I felt thoroughly stupid and retreated to my room, where I quickly fell asleep.

      Flame woke me when we reached Zion.


	12. Zion

It's taken forever I know…just tons of end-of-year schoolwork plus I wasn't sure how I wanted Zion to be…so yeah it's sorta short but I wanted you to have something to chew on and the last chapter was pretty long…

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The gate to Zion ALONE was impressive.  Two huge metal doors and on either side gigantic pillars even with statues.  They were old and worn, chipping and crumbling away, a look at faded grandeur.

      "Zion used to be a sort of vacation place."  Edrahil explained, "It was meant only for the rich, a place to escape.  It's been modified since then, to serve as the last city."

      "Who would WANT to vacation underground?" I asked.

      "Well, it was a new thing back then, and a large amount.  But once war got on they discontinued use of the city.  That's why the machines don't know where it is.  It was named Zion meaning heaven, the perfect place to vacation.  If you look around there's metal and rock, almost everything metal has been added.  The gate was added, but the pillars stayed."  He looked back over to the gate as is started to open, "Zion is still vacation for people like us."

      The gate slowly opened and we eased through.  Bright artificial light flooded the huge hanger.  Huge Greek style warriors lined the walls; even waterfalls came from the walls running down to pipes beneath the ground.  This was juxtaposed to the metal ceiling, and landing pad.  A control tower was in the center along with several buildings.  Machines controlled by men were lined around, a few with men inside waiting for an unexpected attack.

      Zion had nine levels I was told.  The first one being the hanger and first line of defense, the second was technical support and more defenses.  The third was the orphanage and the workplace where stuff that machines couldn't make was done by hand.  Level four was for residents, level five had the main market, council/meeting hall, and things like pools with waterfalls, even a small garden where the last few precious plants were still alive.  Level six and seven were residents, and level eight was the main meeting room.  Most of the residents could fit there; it was the last defense, if attacked that was where the residents would stay.  It was the old grand hall, a place you could party, and can still party.  The last level, level nine was the machinery, what kept Zion alive.  Machinery that filtered and circulated air and water, kept it a reasonable temperature, all that good stuff.  The true heart of the city was machines, ironic isn't it?

      I packed up a few things, just some clothes and small sculpture Mouse made me.  In case I had to leave, he had said quietly before shuffling off, odd kid.  Then we walk down the ramp leading outside.  I wanted to be in the very back but Edrahil had me in the middle.

      "Welcome back Apollos," said a man walking to meet us, two people on either side of him.  "Or is that the right word?" Edrahil stiffened, "freed another without consulting me I see?  I assume you would like to keep them too.  Please try to remember that I never allowed that, but unfortunately the council did.  I don't believe in Oracle's, Apollos, it's a fool's hope, what we need is power, not children."

      "I feel welcome already, Zarofe," mumbled Loki.  If anyone heard them they didn't say anything.  So this was the general, I didn't like him much.

      "I am in charge of my crew; you are in charge of your fleet.  Decisions like who to free are not yours to make, they made me Captain because they trust my decisions."  Said Apollos calmly, looking straight ahead.

      "And they made you General to keep you away from the crews," add Loki in a mumble.  Once again everyone pretended they didn't hear.

      "Well where is he? Or she?" snapped the General, well sorry if I'm not tall!  Apollos moved back to reveal me.  "What is your name?" he barked.

      "Araval, sir!" I said back, not quite wondering if I should have said sir, but safe then sorry I say.

      "Well hopefully we will get you off that ship and away from bad influences in a jiffy," he said no more and turned to walk off.  What a warm welcome.  "I'll see you in ruins before I die Apollos!" Zarofe called back.

      "We love you too, Zarofe," said Loki sarcasm so thick it could frost a cake.

      I now could look around, we were on a kind of rise, and there was a bridge leading to the central tower, Zarofe had just gotten halfway through, we picked up our stuff and began to the bridge.


End file.
